Justice Society of America (vol.3) #16 (July, 2008)
"One World, Under GOG - Part 1: He Came, and Salvation with Him"
Story - Geoff Johns & Alex Ross
Penciller - Fernando Pasarin
Inker - Rebecca Buchman
Colorist - Hi-Fi
Letterer - Rob Leigh
Assistant Editor - Harvey Richards
Editor - Michael Siglain
Cover Price: $2.99
Whew, almost let a weekend pass without checking in with our pals in the Society. Can't have that!
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Before rejoining the story proper, we get some brief bits about Damage and his father, the Golden-Age Atom. Grant talks about the mask he wears... and how most people assume it's honoring his pop, but the real reason is that his face had been destroyed. Most people also assume he joined the Society to follow in Al's footsteps, when he actually only did so as a sort of "Get Out of Jail Free" card. This will be important in a bit. We join the actual story with the giant Gog standing... admiring the world around him.
The Justice Society members... kinda just stand there, trying to wrap their heads around what they're seeing. Could it be that Gog is an actual God? Well, atheist Mr. Terrific sure doesn't think so... and attempts to address the purple giant. Gog doesn't respond. Amazing Man suggests that Gog knows Mr. Terrific doesn't believe in Gods... and so, he makes an attempt at communication. Annnnd, it works!
The chat doesn't go too far though... Gog becomes preoccupied by something going on nearby. The giant lumbers through the trees and into a camp full of evacuees from Goma. The people are sick from the poisons that have been pumped into the air by a recent volcano eruption... remember, we're still in the Congo. His appearance, as you might imagine, scares the bejeezus out of the folks... but Gog's not bothered. He places his hand to the ground... and heals the place!
Elsewhere, we watch as a pair of... I dunno, amateur archeologists? Maybe just grave-robbers... enter what is believed to be a cursed tomb. On the wall there are are hieroglyphs of Black Adam, Isis, and Osiris... uh-oh. They open the tomb... and whattayaknow... it's Black Adam! He kinda looks like Namor did when the Fantastic Four discovered him early on. Anyhoo, he says the magic word... and kills the men... and laments the loss of Isis.
Back in the Congo, Jay Garrick arrives to report in. He asks where Gog went... and is shocked to see that the only Gog around is a giant purple man... and not the fella they fought back in New York. Superman-22 asks Gog what happened to William Matthews (the other Gog from earlier) and if this giant-purple Gog hails from Earth-22. Gog replies that he is "from Paradise". He (thankfully) elaborates to explain that he is from the Third World... but was cast out during a war with the Old Gods. He landed on Earth, where he lay buried in "a tomb of molten rock". Later, he was discovered by a tribe who worshiped him... and forge his Goggy staff.
Many many years later, after Gog was long forgotten, the tomb was discovered by ol' William Matthews. He took the Goggy staff, and was endowed with Goggy powers... and Goggy memories. Memories of Earth-22! Memories that (understandably) drove him insane.
Mr. Terrific thinks this is all well and good, but doesn't justify Gog's having murdered William Matthews (last issue). Gog disagrees... he claims that the power he'd given him spared Matthews pain... and actually kept him alive much longer than he would've otherwise. Damage still thinks this is horsehockey... and isn't afraid to say so...
As he approaches the giant, Gog appears confused. He is unsure if he'd said or done something to offend this strange masked man. To prove that he is there out of peace... he touches Grant. Damage falls back, and the Society rushes to his side. He sits up, and tugs at his mask...
... removing it to show us his re-prettified mug! Gog asks who's next... and we are out.
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This was a good one. We're visited by a possible God who promises to make everything "good" and actually takes a few steps in that direction... and yet, we just can't shake the feeling of dread. There is a sinisterness hanging in the air here... and it's really quite well done. With each page, you just wait for that other show to drop... or for it to be made apparent that Gog (if that's even his real name) has any ulterior motives for his benevolence.
That was the crux of this issue... establishing that Gog does have the power to invoke change. We still don't know if he's trustworthy... but, so far we don't have a whole heckuva lot to hold against him. He even has his reasons for taking out William Matthews.
This isn't anything that hasn't been explored before... for all the heroes know, they might be walking into a Monkey's Paw situation here. It's nothing new, but it's so well done that it doesn't much matter.
Let's kiss up to Mr. Johns a bit... early on, we have a scene between Mr. Terrific and Amazing Man. One a believer, another an atheist... and yet, they are both written in such a way to denote respect for one another's belief/lack of belief, without resorting to lecturing, condescension, or smugness. That's a talent (or tact) I wish more contemporary writers had. Don't get me wrong, it's okay not to agree... but I do think there is a right way and a wrong way to illustrate that.
Readers don't want to be lectured... people who don't agree with a writer's (often made very plain) stance don't want to be told they're wrong, or that the writer thinks less of them... and, I'd like to believe those who do agree wouldn't want to become an echo chamber, or be the choir being preached to. Hey, lookit me, bein' all Polyannaish!
My point is, Johns handled this about as well as I've seen in quite some time. Two men... different beliefs... managing to respect one another. There's this Superman poster about diversity popping up a lot on social media a lot these days (you know the one)... that I feel some contemporary writers would do well to take another look at.
Okay, off that soap box.
Overall... another excellent issue of Justice Society. We get fill-in art from Fernando Pasarin which feels right at home this time around. While, I'd probably rather Eaglesham... I think this looked great! My only reservation was that this felt... like a chapter. I have a difficult time recommending single issues sometimes, especially of this era. You'd likely do better to grab the collection.
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The Final Night #4 (November, 1996)
"The Final Knight"
Writer - Karl Kesel
Penciller - Stuart Immonen
Inker - Jose Marzan, Jr.
Colorist - Trish Mulvihill
Letterer - Gaspar
Assistant Editor - Ali Morales
Editor - Dan Thorsland
Cover Price: $1.95
Alrighty, let's put this one to bed!
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We open around the middle of Parallax: Emerald Night #1, with Kyle Rayner returning from his visit with Hal. Since he couldn't get a solid answer one way or another, he feels like a failure, who just wasted a whole lot of time. He arrives in the snow-covered Metropolis to find Wonder Woman helping some civilians unload a supply helicopter. Kyle takes this as a good sign... since there's no rush to evacuate, and a contingency plan (of sorts) in the works, he figures that even if they don't beat the Sun-Eater they can ride this out. Not so fast, kemo sabe... Wonder Woman pulls him aside, and gives him the straight dope.
Inside S.T.A.R. Labs, Lex Luthor and Brainiac 5 are pitching their latest survival plan. In light of the fact that the Sun is not actually going to fizzle out, and instead will "heal" itself... and in so doing, go hyper-nova and atomize the entire galaxy, they figure the best offense is a good defense. And so, Wally West was tasked with assembling a half-million force-field devices... which, I didn't know was his specialty... but I guess he can read plans as good as anybody. Luthor hopes to deploy these units around the Sun... use the power of the nova to energize them... trap 97% of the energy within the area around the Sun... kill the Sun-Eater... then everything will be hunky dory. Ya got all that? Here, I'll just have Lex explain it.
Now, with the limited time they have... this plan cannot be enacted remotely... or made automated. Luthor blames much of this of their "probe" being aborted... which was Kyle. Dusk's ship will be sent to orbit the Sun and monitor the situation to deal with any unexpected issues that may arise. Luthor is pretty sure the ship will not survive the blast. So, we're talking suicide mission here... unless, they send someone who already survived an encounter. Luthor looks to Kyle... and as he's about to accept the responsibility... he vanishes!
A confused Luthor doesn't quite know what to make of Green Lantern's beam-out. Batman suggests they just send Luthor instead. Lex goes all "homina, homina" until Superman says he'll do it. He says he would be the one to do it, even if Kyle (or anyone else) were up for the task. He's lost one home planet... he's not about to lose another. Besides, the Sun going nova should jump-start his superpowers... hopefully.
The Legionnaires present watch in awe as Superman leaves the room. They've, of course, heard the legends of Superman being the measuring stick for superheroes, but now they get to see it live. Superman excuses himself... to pen a letter. Before we know it, Dusk's ship takes off.
Saturn Girl scans the ship and realizes, that ain't Superman! I reckon, Superman bursting in the room a second and a half later would've given her the same conclusion. It's revealed that the man on board is... young Ferro! Oh, Ferro... Perhaps he read those old Jim Shooter comics, and wanted to go out like his namesake?
The heroes begin to panic... trying to figure out ways to abort the mission. The chickens-with-their-heads-cut-off are interrupted by the arrival... of Parallax!
He says he's there to help... and the heroes are happy to have him... well, not Batman. Batman believes Hal hasn't changed... and Hal tells him... well, that he's right. Superman gives him the skinny... and Hal thinks it a bit quaint. He suggests he can do more... he can fix everything.
Batman again jumps in to argue... but it seems like Hal's past all that at this point. He gives the heroes his Oath that he will fix everything. Superman goes to shake his hand... welcome him back to the fold. Parallax doesn't extend his hand in return, and informs Superman that's he's not coming back.
We join Ferro on his approach to the Sun just as it's about to go nova. It's a pretty awesome scene... his cute little Ferro mask begins to melt... and he apologizes for not being able to return Spark's Legion Flight Ring. Heyyy, did somebody say "ring"? A giant Parallax arrives on the scene for the rescue.
He sends Ferro back to Earth before facing the threat before him. He knows his best bet for deal with this is to draw all of the Sun-Eater's darkness within himself... and so, with (a paraphrased) Green Lantern Oath, he... does just that!
We pick up with Ferro again on Earth, and it's... Sunny?
Well, I'll be damned... Hal did it. Kyle Rayner is overjoyed... not only is the Earth saved, but Hal Jordan might just be one of the good guys again! Well, not so fast kemo sabe... Saturn Girl chimes in to inform the group that she had tapped into Parallax's mind for the duration... and he didn't survive the confrontation.
We wrap up the issue, and story atop the Daily Planet building. Superman and Batman are having one of their semi-contentious post-Crisis pow-wows... this time discussing their old friend, Hal Jordan. Batman holds firm that he is still a villain... and will not allow his legacy to be rewritten by one final altruistic act. Superman, as you may imagine, feels differently. He says he will always believe that Hal died... a hero.
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Well, that was a doozy of an ending! We got some stuff to break down... let's start light.
Lex Luthor's depiction here was fitting... but it still kinda bugged me. I'd gotten used to him being a complete gung-ho bad-ass... to have him freak out at the possibility of going on the suicide mission felt a bit off. Being just a brilliant fella, you'd figure that he'd know Superman would step up and put himself on the line. He could've at least played along... then begrudgingly "step aside" for Superman's act of heroism. Either way though, I was happy to see Lex have a role in all of this... here he was a man who could command the attention of a room full of gods. Not too shabby!
Ferro's attempted sacrifice... ay yai yai. Listen pal, you seem like a good kid... got a cute little mask and everything... but, boy are you annoying. The heroes have a plan, but he takes it upon himself to insert his own inexperienced be-hind. Sure, his intentions were good... but, he could've (and apparently would've) FUBARed the entire plan... and cost the lives of everybody on Earth. I get it, you're the new guy... ya feel like you have to prove yourself... but this ain't the way to do it. Hopefully he got an off-panel punch to the shoulder and noogie after this.
Well, with that out of the way... let's talk Hal.
Hal Jordan comes through in the end... saving (at the very least) the entire Solar System. Let's chat up Batman's reaction. Batman, cynic that he is, thinks Hal has an ulterior motive... and he might be right, just not in the way he believes. Hal might be offering up his services more as an act of contrition or redemption than anything... with saving the galaxy being little more than a juicy dollop of gravy. I'd like to think that while Batman is reading him the riot act, Hal's thinking back to the conversation he had with Guy during the one-shot. Heroes do what they gotta... even when they're despised by those around them.
Superman is more open to the possibility that Hal's "come back"... which, totally makes sense. Being a more optimistic character, Superman always wants to see the best in everyone. I appreciate that Hal doesn't quite receive the invitation the way it's intended. He makes it clear that he's not "back" in any way, shape, or form. He's there to help. During the one-shot he turned down a Green Lantern ring... here, he's it's as though he's turning down a JLA membership card.
Hal's ultimate sacrifice... fitting... I suppose. Though, I wish the Green Lantern Oath he spoke had "blackest night" instead of "darkest night", it really worked for me. At the end of the day... Hal Jordan is still the greatest Green Lantern there ever was. It makes sense for him to face the great hereafter reciting the oath he held to for so many years. A real gut-punch to longtime fans too, I'd imagine. Full circle.
Now, there's that question posed by the World's Finest at the end of the story... did Hal die a hero... or villain?
Personally, and if you've been reading this blog for any length of time you already know this, I'm not completely convinced he ever went full-villain. Sure, he's done some bad stuff... can't deny that. During Emerald Twilight he acted savagely... barbecuing Kilowog, snapping Sinestro's neck, leaving dozens of Green Lanterns in the vacuum of space without their rings, killing the Guardians (well, I can't say I minded that part all that much)... what I'm trying to say is... yeah, he messed up, big time. He acted villainous... but, this being comic books, he wasn't beyond redemption. If the Guardians would have allowed him to recreate Coast City (and he was able to actually do it)... one would imagine, he could've just as easily brought Kilowog and the gang back. Still scummy... sure, but in trying to play the cards that are dealt... one way to go about it.
During Zero Hour: A Crisis in Time, I struggled with the idea that Hal was the villain at all. He offered the heroes their perfect universe(s). The heroes turned him down, accused him of playing God... then (along with the Spectre) restarted the universe themselves... making themselves no better than him! Only he had plans to give everyone what they wanted. I dunno... I'll post links to past relevant Hal discussions (including the funeral) below. I guess my point is... I side more with Superman than Batman in this argument.
Now, The Final Night... as a story... really dug it! A great, understated crossover event. Positively quiet compared to what we see nowadays. A simple one-month diversion from the everyday comic book adventures... I'd believe that events of this size would be more than welcome in this day and age. Well worth checking out (even though I just spoiled the entire thing)... and is collected in (an out-of-print) trade, and the entire magilla is available digitally.
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Parallax: Emerald Night #1 (November, 1996)
"Emerald Night"
Writer - Ron Marz
Penciller - Mike McKone
Inker - Mark McKenna
Colorist - John Kalisz
Letterer - Chris Eliopoulos
Associate Editor - Eddie Berganza
Editor - Kevin Dooley
Cover Price: $2.95
Sooo... let's find out what that green light from The Final Night #3 was...
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We open with... the Cyborg Superman. He's floating in space, unsure how he got there. His attention is suddenly taken by, well the giant wall full of bodies he floats before. Ya see, he's at the Source Wall (referred to as just the Wall here)... the very edge of the universe. He soon finds out that he has been brought here by Hal Jordan... Parallax.
Hal reminds the Cyborg (and the reader... more the reader, probably) about the Coast City atrocity. This occurred during The Reign of the Supermen when Cyborg Superman and Mongul did their whole Engine City dealie... and wound up reducing Hal's hometown to a smoldering crater. Well, it's time to pay the piper... and with Mongul already dead (he died during Underworld Unleashed), the Cyborg is the only one Hal can take a pound of... metallic flesh from.
And so, for the next several pages, Hal proceeds to beat the holy hell out of the Cyborg. Before the battle ends, it's revealed that Parallax isn't fighting the baddie (baddier?) alone. He's actually joined by the seven million people who perished in Coast City. It's really a great scene (and a beautiful page).
With the Cyborg Superman dead, Parallax waits to be hit by a wave of satisfaction... or peace to wash over him, but it never comes. This was nothing more than a hollow victory... and at worst, marks the loss of the one thing that's been giving him any direction of late... revenge. There's nothing left for Hal Jordan. It's now that he is joined by... Green Lantern. Hal looks him up and down, and thinks to himself how great it would be to have his youth and (relative) innocence back. How much better life was before he became a jaded and bitter man. He sees Kyle's optimism and eagerness... and in addition to feeling envy, he can't help but to feel pride.
Kyle's there with dire news... and since we're reading The Final Night, we kinda know what he's on about. Hal proves to be difficult to keep on topic. Instead of talking about the Sun-Eater, Hal asks how great it feels to be Green Lantern... how great it feels knowing you have your whole life ahead of him. This gives Kyle the opening he needs to say "Hey, we might not have much life ahead of us if we don't get to work...". Hal goes on the defensive... and says the last time he tried to give his old friends a "better world" (during Zero Hour: A Crisis in Time) the DC heroes told him to pound sand... and shot an arrow into his heart. Kyle tries to reason with Hal... saying that just like Coast City, Earth is his home. Hal doesn't commit to anything...
And with a snap of his fingers, Hal sends Kyle away. He decides he needs to see this Sun-Eater for himself... and so, he does.
We shift scenes back to Warrior's... and revisit the the ending of The Final Night #3, with Guy trying in vain to get drunk. He's bathed in green light... and finds himself joined by, hey lookit that... it's Parallax.
Despite Guy feeling a bit froggy, Hal tells him he's not there for a fight. He's really just there to ask him a question. We all know that Guy is... kind of abrasive. Hal asks him how he was able to keep going... keep being a hero, even though all the other heroes hated his guts. Guy replies with "You do what you gotta do", which was apparently all Hal needed to hear. He thanks Guy, and vanishes.
Next stop, John Stewart's bedside. Now, John had been crippled during his time with the Darkstars. I don't think I've read those issues... but suffice it to say, the fella can't walk. Hal's arrival inspires, as you might imagine, a whoooooole lotta questions. Questions that unfortunately, Hal doesn't have the time to answer. He thanks John for his friendship over the years... then gives him the power to walk again.
We then shift to one of the opening scenes from Green Arrow (vol.3) #1... a book which won't come out for five years! Hal is stood before Oliver Queen's grave... and lays down a bouquet of flowers. He stands there for a moment in silence. This goes to show how long that Kevin Smith run was in development. Actually the WATCH this space column (I'll include it below) that comes in this very issue kinda crows about the possibility of Smith calling DC Comics his home for awhile.
Hal's tour continues with a stop in, I dunno... maybe Alaska? He's in his old pal Tom Kalamaku's hangar... and is surprised to see him tinkering with his plane instead of being with his family during these tense "end times". Tom, who is ecstatic to see his old friend, says he just needed to feel busy... which is understandable. He tells Hal that he's working on a book that will tell the world how great (and misunderstood) Hal Jordan was... to which, Hal informs him that he's about to give that book a proper ending.
Last stop... Ferris Aircraft. (A very tan) Carol knew he'd eventually show up. Hedging his bets... or perhaps having cold feet, Hal makes one final play for her heart. He tells her that he can take her someplace safe... where they can be together forever. She tell him that it's not about the two of them... and maybe it never was. She tells him that she loves him, but this is goodbye. She's confident he will do what's right.
And so, after one last kiss... Hal heads to the crater that once was Coast City. He kneels beside a stuffed doll (which might just be the same one from Green Lantern (vol.3) #48) and concentrates... purging Ganthet from within him (!) I guess the last Guardian took up residence inside our man to keep tabs on him. They argue a bit about the Emerald Twilight thang, before Ganthet ultimately apologizes. He says that the Guardians of the Universe were always too rigid... and refused to break any of their self-imposed rules, regardless of how worthy they might be. He then manifests a Lantern ring... and offers it to Hal.
Hal stares at it for a moment... before realizing that getting his ring back won't make him the man he used to be. He tells Ganthet he won't be needing the ring... and so, the last Guardian leaves. Hal thinks about how lives are judged... are they by actions in the moment? Are they by legacies left behind? Does it even matter? He returns to Kyle with an answer... he will aid the heroes in taking down the Sun-Eater.
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Wow... that was one hell of a story.
Ya know, thinking about things like Green Lantern Rebirth (the first one)... all of this Parallax whatsits was swept under the rug by blaming Hal's actions on a giant yellow fear bug from outer space. We accept that, because it's comics... but, it totally takes the steam out of stories like this. This is the era of "broken Hal"... different than "broke as a joke Hal", "broke outta prison Hal" and "broken-hearted Hal", and feels like such a natural progression for the character. This is a dude who knows he's screwed things up... a dude who once sought to reboot the entire universe to give people what he thought they wanted. At his core, he's been an altruist... a selfish altruist (if that can even be a thing), but an altruist none the less. I think taking these actions out of his control do him a real disservice. If he's still got the Parallax buggy inside him... do we second-guess this story too? Did Parallax make him visit his old friends... and decide to put his life on the line for his home planet? I dunno... folks like Ron Marz, Dan Jurgens, among others put in so much effort to make Parallax work (and I feel like he did work) that wiping it away is just something that's always kinda bugged me.
Let's get into the story itself... this is, Hal Jordan attempting to make peace (and learn from) his oldest and closest associates and friends. To his mind this might be his final contrition... perhaps a way to wipe his spirit clean before facing the unknown. Perhaps, he's just looking to make amends... maybe he was just looking for a sign that he was going to do the "right" thing. Whatever it was, it made for some wonderful scenes.
It was really neat seeing that, of all his old running buddies, he now has the most in common with Guy Gardner... because everyone hates/hated them! Guy's answer to the question... how he can still be a hero despite being despised, was about as perfect as it could've been. Guy's a jerk, yeah, but he's still a hero... and heroes do what they gotta do.
The Carol scene was great... you really get the feeling that the situation is becoming real for Hal here. You get the feeling that Carol knows the real reason for his visit as well... he's not there to take her away, he's there because he needs to hear her tell him that what he's about to do is the right thing. Hal, despite his Parallaxian stumbling, is still a hero. If he was willing to push the limits of his own power to bring back Coast City... he's likely going to go all out to save the Earth.
I appreciate how we joined Hal as he was tying up his final thread. Taking out the Cyborg Superman, with the aid of seven-million Coast City-zens was not only a powerful scene, but a bittersweet one as well. He's left... alone, with one of the scariest questions a person can ask themselves... "What now?" He's been so fueled by revenge... so driven... that, now he's gotta question what purpose his life even has. He's slayed all his demons... so, what now?
Let's talk Ollie for a bit. It's not clear here that Hal brought his buddy back... and it wouldn't become clear for nearly a half-decade... but I really liked that this scene was included. The behind the scenes machinations are always fun to consider, but even as just a "saying goodbye" scene, this was a good one... it's a scene where silence says so much more than words might.
Finally... Ganthet. Hal's known the little bugger's been latched on, but hasn't done anything to expel him. Perhaps, the Guardian gave him a measure of comfort. We have Hal offered his ring back... which, we may imagine is all he ever wanted in the first place.
The ring, to him, likely signifies a more innocent time in his life. A time he can never (fully) get back. He's done what he's done... and no matter what costume he wears, he's always gonna be "that guy". It's such a human way to be... and it's great. I can think of times I've cleaned out a drawer in my dresser, and found an old shirt that doesn't quite fit the same (or at all!) anymore. I pause for a moment... and think about what my life was like back when it did. Sometimes it's a memory of better (easier) times... other times, it's a memory of a time I'm glad to have behind me. This scene was quite powerful...
Actually, I think if I were to sum up the issue in a single word... it would be "powerful" (add "beautiful" if I can use two words... the art here is fantastic). If I had to pick any nits, my only issue is that this might have gone unread if you were just following the main The Final Night miniseries. This is a story that I would implore you to check out. It's a wonderful Hal Jordan-as-Parallax tale that allows us to really get into the man's head. He's not power-mad... or even just plain mad. He's a man... a confused, lost, and atoning man... who needs direction, and perhaps forgiveness. As luck would have it, it's available digitally... I'd highly recommend checking it out. This book reminds me why I love comics.
We'll wrap up our battle with the Sun-Eater tomorrow.
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